Hang In There, Baby
Are you about ready to shed the chains of quarantine and bust back out into the world? I know most of us are reaching the end of patience, restraint, and resilience. But as the kitten poster says Hang In There, Baby. What we have achieved so far has saved thousands of lives. Together, we are overcoming a crisis and in the end, all of this sacrifice will make sense.
Isolation is certainly one of the hardest aspects of this time we are in. Even if you’re an introvert, content to be alone – you miss the company of loved ones and the input of others. Today my horoscope nailed it on the head…
“You prefer to travel solo, following your private stream as you see fit. However, these are opportune days for joining up with others. As your community struggles with the direct or indirect effects of COVID-19, share your insights and inspirations with those who need them.”
These ARE opportune times to join up and collaborate. And, we can do it safely thanks to technology and simple acts of kindness and creativity. For the past few weeks I’ve encouraged artists to hunker down – attack those latent projects in your studio, review your websites, organize loose files, update resumes and photograph work.
But now it’s time to poke our heads out from our caves to find new ways to interact with other artists and our audiences. I thought it would be fun to share some ideas on how to shake off the cobwebs and collaborate our way out of COVID-19.
San Francisco Symphony, Dukas Fanfare from 'La Péri' | Thank You Healthcare Workers
Some of you may have seen videos of the Russian ballet dancers performing in their homes or the “Exquisite Corpse” choreography stitched together by dancers in remote locations like this one by the Milwaukee Dance Theatre Network. Musicians have been sharing their gifts on Zoom and IGTV. Our own SF Symphony started #MusicConnects to support and create online learning and concerts at home.
In Denmark, they have revived the drive-in concept by producing live concerts, comedy shows and raves – with the audience sitting in cars. There are hundreds of other online entertainment options recently rounded up on SFGate.
Visual artists are also mixing it up. Here in San Francisco, Paint the Void was created to keep artists engaged and paid “as guardians of hope and beauty in the wake of COVID-19” by commissioning murals on boarded-up storefronts. The artist FNNCH has created the Honey Bear Hunt Kit which includes a print of his famous masked honey bear to put in your window for people to spot while out on their walks.
Napa artist Nancy Willis may have missed her annual “Path of An Artist” teaching excursion to France, but she paired up with a pastry chef to invent “Bake Like an Artist” online course combining visual design and baking into a delicious journey. And I am quite proud to be a part of Sonoma Valley Museum of Art’s ARTS@Home initiative – by publishing weekly online art lessons (in English and Spanish) for families working and learning from home.
Even Burning Man is making the transition to a “virtual festival” this year. You can visit their new website to SUGGEST ideas on how to bring the playa experience to your backyard. I personally would love to see some Burning Man fashion and light shows without having to wash playa dust out of my toe crevices every night!
In short, I think it’s time to move forward with this new reality, accepting that progress is impossible without change. For artists, it can be an opportunity, not just to look inward but to spread your vision further afield and connect with new viewers and new collaborators.
To quote the brilliant writer Khalil Gibran, “Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.”
Here’s to the new tomorrow!